Evangelism - how did you come to Jesus?

Christian ethics and theology with an Anabaptist perspective
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Bootstrap
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Evangelism - how did you come to Jesus?

Post by Bootstrap »

I'd like to hear from people who were brought to Jesus as the result of some form of evangelism - by word, friendship, or whatever means. I'd like to see if there are common threads, or even things that show up in all of our stories.

I became a Christian when I was 13. I grew up several miles outside of a small town, and we went to church at a Methodist church in town every Sunday. Somehow, the main message I got was that I wasn't good enough - and I was getting the same message at school, where I was a real behavior problem, so I got this message loud and clear. But at church they also told me about hell. Then some of my Baptist friends started taking me to their equivalent of Boy Scouts, where we heard the Four Spiritual Laws and the importance of evangelism every week, and they told me that I was indeed headed for hell, but if I prayed this prayer I would be off the hook. That just plain didn't make sense to me. I didn't believe that praying a set of words would save me. But I did believe God was probably very upset with me.

Then our church had something they called a Lay Witness Mission, an all-weekend event where people from other churches shared their testimonies. Not just how they got saved, but what God meant in their lives, and some of their most important spiritual experiences. We ate together, talked together, walked together, and they listened to me sharing my fears and concerns, then told me about the love of God as they had experienced it. They did that with obvious love and concern, and they acted like they actually liked me. When I saw the kind of love and grace they were showing me, I could believe in a God who had that kind of love and grace.

They didn't do Four Spiritual Laws. On Sunday evening, we had a silent candlelight service. If you wanted to pick up your cross and follow Jesus, you could decide to do that by heading to the front, picking up a small metal cross, and kneeling to pray. The people who were sitting down had been told to be praying for anyone who did this, and to pray that God move people's hearts to do so.

I really liked this approach, and if I were setting up an evangelism program, I might do it the same way. One problem with this group, though, was that the people who witnessed to you also disappeared, going back home, and leaving you without mentors. So if I designed a program like this, I would want to make sure small groups and mentors were available to anyone who wanted them afterward.

How about you? How did God use people to reach you? Would you use the same technique or not? If you would, would you modify it?
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RZehr
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Re: Evangelism - how did you come to Jesus?

Post by RZehr »

I'm a born and bred conservative Mennonite. One point between 10 - 14 years old - I don't remember exactly when - I decided I should be a Christian. I don't remember if it was peer related, revival meetings, parental questions or what.
I don't know if my dad asked me or I asked him, but either way my parents didn't think I was ready to make a commitment, made the recommendation that I was not ready for instruction class that was soon starting. I don't think I said a sinners prayer or anything.

Then a few years later, I believe I was about 16 or 17, I responded at a neighboring churchs revival meetings. Went through instruction class, was baptized. As time went along, I would confess various sins. Dived back into sin.

Then when I was around 20 years old, during our churchs revival meetings, I went forward. I look back at this point as a real turning point in my spiritual life. I confessed more sin, and as years would pass I became more faithful in my repenting of my sin. Wrote letters of apology to people for what I considered super-small-maybe-not-quite-even-sin, sin. But I felt and feel that the fact that they kept coming to my remembrance, was a sign that I should clear them. So I wrote those letters. I've been very blessed by the responses I received in return.

How did I come to Jesus? Repeatedly. Stubbornly. Wickedly. Hypocritically. Sincerely.
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Paul
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Re: Evangelism - how did you come to Jesus?

Post by Paul »

Great thread, and I have to say I love this forum in general. Glad to see so many genuine brothers and sisters in Christ :D

For me, my conversion was like a lightning from heaven. I grew up alone with my mom, she left my Kurdish father when I was very young because of abuse. She came from a very conservative calvinist background and we went to church when I was young, but since my mom was socially very inept, and divorced which was very much frowned upon and uncommon in the community, we were sort of outcasts. Even though I went to reformed schools, where we read the Bible and learned the Psalms, for me I never truly understood the faith at all, and I didn't want to go anymore as I got around 12, I rather played or watched soccer on sundays even though my mom didn't approve. And my mom was scared of going and hardly had any living faith that I can recall, and eventually quit going altogether. She usually watched Oprah or Dr.Phil to get any guidance in life, and on Sundays she tuned into 'Hour of Power' for her spiritual food.
Well fast forward 10+ years of hardly going to church, smoking, drinking, stealing, lying, using drugs, watching porn, playing poker etc.. and I had become extremely depressed. I did somehow - very hypocritically - make it a habit to call myself a "Christian", and pray for my food for instance (even though I never read the Bible) because I did think there was something out there, I even said I wanted to follow Jesus. And I was very much into different forms of spirituality,new age stuff, like Eckhard Tolle, deepak chopra etc.

So funnily enough I made a poker account which I named "SeekGodNOW", which was meanth as an encouragement for people to turn to God in the "now" - like the eckhard tolle philosophy dictated. And somehow I came across a dutch guy on that pokersite that was a Christian (though playing poker for money is hardly Godly or justifiable imo), and we got talking. I don't know where he was standing exactly but at least he was way more sincere in his faith than I was - though he couldn't let poker go, I think because he really made alot of money with it - but he wanted to borrow me money and he was very precise about not charging any interest because of a law in Leviticus. He also called me a fleshly Christian because I smoked, which I really took as an offense somehow because I had a very high view of my "spirituality" haha. Then he sent me a video of a sermon from Paul Washer on Matthew 7:21, Many will say Lord, Lord.. and that was what started to convict me if I perhaps could be one of those many hypocrites that thought they did so many good things. Then around that same time, I was browsing up in the attic looking for something, and I came across a little book by Charles Spurgeon called "Be ye Holy, for I am Holy". And God really used that book and verse to convict me of my unholy and hypocritical life, while I was buried in sin and at an extremely low point in my life, God showed me who I was and who He was. Well that absolutely terrified me at first, my eyes were opened to see my sinfulness before a Holy God, and I was stripped of all the self-righteous spirituality and hypocritical pretenses. And at the same time God showed me the amazing grace in Jesus Christ, how He was really Gods Son, that came down to pay the penalty for my sins, which gave me amazing joy! I quit poker, watching porn, smoking, drinking etc. and threw out everything that could even slightly be deemed sinful - like a soccer cup I once won, soccer having been somewhat of an idol for me for many years - that strong was the conviction and the fear of His Righteous judgment which the Lord had put inside of me. I also started to pray alot, watch sermons online alot, and started reading the Bible daily, and the Spirit started to open my eyes to the truth of His Word and the glory of Jesus Christ. I also went back to my old Church, even though my mom had been put out, and I hadn't been there for over a decade. I simply thought the more conservative calvinists still took Gods Word seriously and really lived it. And I also took an interest in the Anabaptists, because I was really longing for a pure and holy life, dedicated to the Lord.

All this is about 5 years ago now, and I am still learning and growing daily in my walk with the Lord. Grateful every day for the undeserved and amazing grace of my Saviour Jesus Christ, and longing to serve Him and exalt Him with my life in whatever way He calls me to.
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temporal1
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Re: Evangelism - how did you come to Jesus?

Post by temporal1 »

RZehr wrote:I'm a born and bred conservative Mennonite. One point between 10 - 14 years old - I don't remember exactly when - I decided I should be a Christian. I don't remember if it was peer related, revival meetings, parental questions or what.
I don't know if my dad asked me or I asked him, but either way my parents didn't think I was ready to make a commitment, made the recommendation that I was not ready for instruction class that was soon starting. I don't think I said a sinners prayer or anything.

Then a few years later, I believe I was about 16 or 17, I responded at a neighboring churchs revival meetings. Went through instruction class, was baptized. As time went along, I would confess various sins. Dived back into sin.

Then when I was around 20 years old, during our churchs revival meetings, I went forward. I look back at this point as a real turning point in my spiritual life. I confessed more sin, and as years would pass I became more faithful in my repenting of my sin. Wrote letters of apology to people for what I considered super-small-maybe-not-quite-even-sin, sin. But I felt and feel that the fact that they kept coming to my remembrance, was a sign that I should clear them. So I wrote those letters. I've been very blessed by the responses I received in return.

How did I come to Jesus? Repeatedly. Stubbornly. Wickedly. Hypocritically. Sincerely.
interesting.
can you help me understand what part evangelism played in your journey/walk (which i believe is an active verb that continues for life) .. ?

from your description (i sense, for the little it's worth) the Holy Spirit has been guiding you and looking over you for all your life. likely before you could have any idea of what the Holy Spirit might be in your life. what part can be attributed to evangelism? can effective evangelism happen without the Holy Spirit?

(to clarify, i believe it's the Holy Spirit that breathes life into evangelism, words+works, not the other way around.)
God is patient, He waits for us to tire of our ways, to then come to Him, as you say, sincerely. on knees, in humility. ready, at last, for submission and obedience.

if i'm understanding correctly, this thread is about what role evangelism has played in accepting Jesus?

in my case, i will say, formal evangelism was probably more of a stumbling block than a help.
i was frightened of a lot. revivals were scary. baptisms were terrifying. tracts mysterious, not in an attractive way.

i was in my 40's before accepting Jesus, i was baptised soon after. a special time in my life. where i had experienced years+years of confusion and fear (since childhood) - i began to find Light in the Word. it was not like a lightning bolt, it was a sense of peace and understanding that simply was not there before .. alho, i had sought it!

i'm not afraid of any of those things anymore.
i'm glad to say, i helped my children and now granddaughter to not be afraid, either.
they never experienced fear like i did. i praise God for this.

i believe the Holy Spirit was always watching over, and decided how+when my eyes would be opened to Truth. the choice was not mine, alone. i yearned, i tried, but the Holy Spirit determined when and how.
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Re: Evangelism - how did you come to Jesus?

Post by Sudsy »

Wow, I am so enjoying these posts !

My "coming to Jesus" was not so "damascus road" experience yet I can recall it as if it was yesterday some 60 years later. My father took me aside one day and walked me through what is called the "Romans chain" of scriptures. I remember asking Jesus to be my Lord and Saviour and phoning my Sunday School teacher to tell him what had just happened. From then on, up into my late twenties I was quite active in ministries. But then I wandered away to live for myself. Not abandoning my beliefs but not treating Jesus as my Lord. God was so patient with me through those years and I kept hearing that voice to open that door to restored fellowship. It happened for me through attending the local Salvation Army chapel. Well I won't go any further as this thread is about the initial way we came to know the Lord.

My parents, both raised unchurched, have more of a "damascus road" story to tell. Mom was witnessed to by my Grandmother and after becoming a Christian went through a couple years of hell with my father. Mom said dad was quite a mocker of religion. He used fowl language and ridiculed my mom's new faith constantly. However, he would drive her to church and then sit in the parking lot smoking and reading books. Back in those days open church windows were used for air conditioning. Dad said he was always intrigued by the music and how happy these folks were. One day he had to go in and check it out for himself. Well, long story short, dad gave his life to Christ standing during the last song of the service which was "pass me not O gentle Saviour, hear my humble cry". Dad said he just said Lord don't pass me by and God gave him a new heart. Well, immediate major changes occurred in his life and he became a street evangelist. I believe God used my mom's faithfulness and prayers through those hard two years as one means of dad's salvation.

I love these testimonies of what God has and can do. My local church when I was a youth had what we called testimony time when we shared our experiences, past and present, during the service. Just stand to your feet and the leader would control who speaks next. We were encouraged to do this and then it would be easier to do this outside the church with an unsaved person. I miss those days and this kind of fellowship .
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KingdomBuilder
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Re: Evangelism - how did you come to Jesus?

Post by KingdomBuilder »

Was born and raised in Southern Baptist, was told I was saved since I could remember, but I certainly was not. I lived a wretched existence. Wasn't until I moved away from home that I realized how unstable and unsustainable my lifestyle was. Bear in mind that because of my upbringing, that "Jesus" word was always buzzing behind me. I did a fine job at denying the that and living for the flesh all through my teenage years, but once I started to heed it things began to change. Fast. I'm still humbled by how quickly the Lord broke chains off of my life, and I'm humbled by how patient He has been with me (as I dabbled in false religions, legalism, and the like for a while before coming to Christ).
Typical evangelical efforts didn't ever yield any positive response from me- quite the opposite really. What was a huge help to me was seeing people who actually sought Biblical lives and Holiness. That's what the Lord used for me, and for it I'm thankful.
It wasn't until I heard an (online) Anabaptist's sermon on salvation that I decided to commit my life to the Lord and his Word.
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temporal1
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Re: Evangelism - how did you come to Jesus?

Post by temporal1 »

KingdomBuilder wrote:Was born and raised in Southern Baptist, was told I was saved since I could remember, but I certainly was not. I lived a wretched existence. Wasn't until I moved away from home that I realized how unstable and unsustainable my lifestyle was.

Bear in mind that because of my upbringing, that "Jesus" word was always buzzing behind me. I did a fine job at denying the that and living for the flesh all through my teenage years, but once I started to heed it things began to change. Fast.

I'm still humbled by how quickly the Lord broke chains off of my life, and I'm humbled by how patient He has been with me (as I dabbled in false religions, legalism, and the like for a while before coming to Christ).

Typical evangelical efforts didn't ever yield any positive response from me- quite the opposite really.

What was a huge help to me was seeing people who actually sought Biblical lives and Holiness.
That's what the Lord used for me, and for it I'm thankful.

It wasn't until I heard an (online) Anabaptist's sermon on salvation that I decided to commit my life to the Lord and his Word.
i have a similar experience with having an "opposite" response to attempts at "formal evangelism." i.e., formal efforts. these did not resonate with me. it was the "less intentional" everyday words and works of others in my life that impacted me most.

formal evangelism must work for others! i would not interfere with anyone's calling that way.
:arrow: it's not the only way God chooses.

in the end, it is God's decision, through His Son, and the Holy Spirit. we may attempt to be servants for His will.
He decides when-where-how we are touched:

Psalm 37:23
The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

Proverbs 16:1
We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer.

Proverbs 19:21
You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail.


maybe, as in all matters, the humbling question comes, "who is being touched? who is being turned away?"
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Re: Evangelism - how did you come to Jesus?

Post by Wayne in Maine »

I was baptized by my parish priest when I was about 2 weeks old.
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Paul
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Re: Evangelism - how did you come to Jesus?

Post by Paul »

Wayne in Maine wrote:I was baptized by my parish priest when I was about 2 weeks old.
I was "baptised" - sprinkled on - as an infant aswell, but I truly never understood the point of it. I went to a Baptist church eventually and got baptised on confession of faith a little over a year ago, guess that's where I am much more anabaptist than calvinist.
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Re: Evangelism - how did you come to Jesus?

Post by MaxPC »

I come to Jesus every day in a lifelong discipleship of conversation and conversion. :D
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